"2010: The Year We Make Contact" (1984)

[Triton]

Production design from the MGM motion picture 2010: The Year We Make Contact by Syd Mead. The film, written and directed by Peter Hyams, is based on the novel 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C Clarke.

 

[Triton]

The Leonov miniature at Richard Edlund's special effects house Entertainment Effects Group (EEG), later known as Boss Film Corporation. A new miniature of the spacecraft Discovery One needed to be built at EEG since the original model and all plans were ordered destroyed by Director Stanley Kubrick after filming 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick feared that had the models survived, they might be used in later productions.

In the novel, the spacecraft was named the Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov. It is described as being equipped with a Sakharov drive, a fictional new method of propulsion that makes it possible for the craft to make a round-trip to Jupiter. The craft also uses a large heatshield to aerobrake in Jupiter's outer atmosphere, saving fuel. In recognition of Alexei Leonov, after whom the craft is named, there is a framed painting by the cosmonaut in the mess room. The Russians are said to view gravity as more or less a luxury and the Leonov does not have artificial gravity. The ship was originally to be christened the Gherman Titov, but was changed later for undisclosed reasons.

In the film, Leonov is shown to have a large rotating mid-section providing artificial gravity and has a large ballute in place of the heatshield.

Images from Models, Miniatures, and Magic web site.
http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=4869

 

[Triton]

Additional image of the miniature Leonov "docked" to the Discovery One miniature.

 

[Triton]

Miniature of the Leonov EVA Pod 1. This miniature was recently refurbished by Gene Kozicki.

Images from Models, Miniatures, and Magic web site.
http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=8070

 

[Lauge]

[The Leonov is described as being equipped with a Sakharov drive, a fictional new method of propulsion that makes it possible for the craft to make a round-trip to Jupiter.

One of my personal, all-time favourite fictional spacecraft. As for the "Sakharov drive", when reading the book (years ago, just after that big asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs) I got the impression it was some form of fusion engine, using (deuterium ?) fusion to heat a propellant to produce thrust.

There's a pretty good (as far as I can tell) scratch-built model of the Sakharov at:
http://www.starshipmodeler.info/gallery13/as_leonov.htm

Regards & all,

Thomas L. Nielsen

 

[Triton]

Additional images of the miniature of the Leonov EVA Pod 1.

Images from Models, Miniatures, and Magic web site.
http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=8070

 

[Triton]

Additional images of the miniature of the Leonov EVA Pod 1.

Images from Models, Miniatures, and Magic web site.
http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=8070

 

[F-14D]

Not sure if this is the appropriate place to point this out, but...

Why was there still an EVA pod in the Discovery when the Leonev arrived??

 

[Michel Van]

Not sure if this is the appropriate place to point this out, but...

Why was there still an EVA pod in the Discovery when the Leonev arrived??

that the pod Dave Bowman used for rescue Frank Poole after HAL attack

 

[Orionblamblam]

The first pod is lost when Frank is killed... it is seen tumbling away. The second pod is lost when Bowman goes after Frank, and has to come in the small airlock. The third pod is lost when Bowman flies it into the monolith. The pod in 2010... I dunno. Maybe one of the first two is auto-recovered. It's been 20+years since I read 2010...

 

[saturncanuck]

The first pod is lost when Frank is killed... it is seen tumbling away. The second pod is lost when Bowman goes after Frank, and has to come in the small airlock. The third pod is lost when Bowman flies it into the monolith. The pod in 2010... I dunno. Maybe one of the first two is auto-recovered. It's been 20+years since I read 2010...

In the novel it is mentioned that the pod that Bowman goes to get Poole with is recovered. If you notice in the film, the pod has no rear hatch on it, as they shine the flashlight though it.

 

[F-14D]

The first pod is lost when Frank is killed... it is seen tumbling away. The second pod is lost when Bowman goes after Frank, and has to come in the small airlock. The third pod is lost when Bowman flies it into the monolith. The pod in 2010... I dunno. Maybe one of the first two is auto-recovered. It's been 20+years since I read 2010...

In the novel it is mentioned that the pod that Bowman goes to get Poole with is recovered. If you notice in the film, the pod has no rear hatch on it, as they shine the flashlight though it.

I always thought the rear hatch of that pod in 2010 was just open, since there'd be no reason to close it.

 

[Michel Van]

Director Peter Hyames wand more "Serious!" design for the Movie

Syd Mead had design for Leonov a umbrella like Headshield
but technical adviser for movie Dr Richard Terrell wanted Ballute

The Leonov Eva Pod had redesign three times by Syd Mead
on demand of Hyams "To make the Pod more Visually substantial"

the First design of Pod was some thing like Telephone boot with rocket engines

Source
Kronovectra: concept design of Syd Mead
Bandai Books 1991
Page 154-168

 

[Triton]

Director Peter Hyames wand more "Serious!" design for the Movie

Syd Mead had design for Leonov a umbrella like Headshield
but technical adviser for movie Dr Richard Terrell wanted Ballute

The Leonov Eva Pod had redesign three times by Syd Mead
on demand of Hyams "To make the Pod more Visually substantial"

the First design of Pod was some think like Telephone boot with rocket engines

Source
Kronovectra: concept design of Syd Mead
Bandai Books 1991
Page 154-168

Too bad Kronovecta, without the second r, is out of print. I want a copy of it and the rest of Syd Mead's books that have become highly-prized collector items! He is just awesome as a designer and illustrator. It would be nice to see more of the artwork he created for the film, though I know that production design for a science fiction film is an off topic for this forum.

This probably also off topic, but it is too cool not to mention the Syd Mead website:
http://www.sydmead.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibf-6O3uU6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLTRDH2YFqc

 

[The Artist]

Not sure if this is the appropriate place to point this out, but...

Why was there still an EVA pod in the Discovery when the Leonev arrived??

An involved discussion on this question took place on a Stargate SG-1 site many years ago. Something offered to support the recovered pod suggestion is that a behind the scenes photo on page 153 of the revised edition of Piers Bizony's 2001 Filming The Future shows Bowman at a Discovery centrifuge work station which has the same configuration as a Pod's control panel.

And, on the question of what happened to the models? You might want to read this

http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/faq/index4.html#slot51

That might explain this picture

 

[Stingray]

And, on the question of what happened to the models? You might want to read this

http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/faq/index4.html#slot51

Being as someone who is actually building spaceship models for filming, and having a huge appreciation of their use in films at all, let me tell you that was painful for me to read. :'(

 

[Archibald]

[font=times new roman, times]Trevor Parsons writes
I was at college in Stevenage (about 15 miles away from St Albans in the early 1970's). Our studio, we were studying graphic art, faced the entrance to the local corporation dump. One afternoon in 1974 a truck turned up after the dump was closed & left some crates in the entrance way. They contained 2 of the models used in 2001, the space wheel & one of the pods. Of course they may not have been the only ones but I believe they were genuine (the film had been made about 20 miles away at Boreham Wood the old MGM studios). By the time I got there the pod had been taken, the space wheel damaged & taken out its wooden case. I took pictures of it, its surface had been covered with bits of old plastic construction kits to make it look more technical when filmed. I desperately wanted to take it home, but I only had a motor bike & a room 8 feet by 10 so it was not really workable. It was smashed up by kids a few days later. [/font]

This is total heartbreaking.

 

[The Artist]

It took me a while to find where I had posted that old link and I posted this newer information today in the Fictional Spaceships thread. As you work , or worked, in the field, you may know this, but if not, I came across this today about the studio model of the Aries1B.

Aries 1B Archives - Cinefex Blog

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=69180

And, on the question of what happened to the models? You might want to read this

http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/faq/index4.html#slot51

Being as someone who is actually building spaceship models for filming, and having a huge appreciation of their use in films at all, let me tell you that was painful for me to read. :'(

 

[Stingray]

News to me! Thanks for sharing, it’s wonderful to know this one survived and is being preserved.

 

[edwest4]

I recall Syd Mead saying that the handheld propulsion device was over-engineered. I think some allowance was made for movie-goers who expect something a bit more elaborate than a possibly featureless, or almost featureless device. Or to put it another way, it needed to look rather cool.

 

[Grey Havoc]

In honour of current events out Jupiter's way.

Spoiler

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYvvPZ6zwPE

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zKqAbfxFsQ

 

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyf8QWoL7T0

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8CxmraQzBI

 

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OqcvTcJJIQ

 

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V68pnTJwjQU

 

[giorgos42gr]

I may be mistake but the leonov inspired the omega class destroyers from Babylon5.
Especially the rottating section

 

[giorgos42gr]

The Foundation Imagine (the company behind B5 special effects) cofounder Paul Bryant thar designed the Omega Class destroyers admited it

Omega class destroyer

The Omega class destroyer was an Earth Alliance warship, manufactured by Rocketdyne at the Neue Hanse Orbital Shipyard in Earth orbit. Following the Earth-Minbari War, it became the most powerful and ubiquitous capital ship of the Earth Alliance fleet and one of the strongest ships ever built by...

babylon5.fandom.com

B5Scrolls

 

[Deleted member 2278]

B5 always made the best entrances!

 

[Arjen]

And exits. One of many memorable B5 scenes, Sheridan's inauguration as president:

G'Kar: Do you want to be president?
John Sheridan: Yes.
G'Kar: Then put your hand on the book and say "I do".
John Sheridan: I do.
G'Kar: Fine. Done. Let's eat.

 

[Archibald]

Douglas Trumbull, the son of Donald Trumbull, has passed away today from cancer (screw the bloody thing) aged 79.

The Trumbull, father and son, are often mistaken for each other. Both had stupendous career as special effects pioneers.

 

[publiusr]

Horrible news…

 

[rooster]

Thank you for this wonderful thread. 2 of my favorite movies.... So what year do we get to have pet dolphins?

 

[Michel Van]

the original model and all plans were ordered destroyed by Director Stanley Kubrick after filming 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick feared that had the models survived, they might be used in later productions.

That was not true
in fact after movie was done the sets were dismantle to make place for next productions in Stage (common practice in Hollywood)
Allot parts and props ende up in storage at MGM-British in Borehamwood, were most of 2001 was shot.
and they stay there because MGM had no idea what to do with it for next 4 years
Then new US management closed MGM-British in 1970 because Deal with EMI and move to there Studios
and here begins the destruction of props and sets pars of 2001 as they clean out Studio and storage.
some stuff ended up in BBC or EMI props department, other in private hands or ende in landfill

on Dokumentation and Plans
you should really visit the Stanley Kubrick Archive, were most of paperwork of 2001 are stored,
I don't know how much content of the 12 container survive, but Kubrick stored his paperwork on his movies.

 

[Archibald]

the original model and all plans were ordered destroyed by Director Stanley Kubrick after filming 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick feared that had the models survived, they might be used in later productions.

That was not true
in fact after movie was done the sets were dismantle to make place for next productions in Stage (common practice in Hollywood)
Allot parts and props ende up in storage at MGM-British in Borehamwood, were most of 2001 was shot.
and they stay there because MGM had no idea what to do with it for next 4 years
Then new US management closed MGM-British in 1970 because Deal with EMI and move to there Studios
and here begins the destruction of props and sets pars of 2001 as they clean out Studio and storage.
some stuff ended up in BBC or EMI props department, other in private hands or ende in landfill

on Dokumentation and Plans
you should really visit the Stanley Kubrick Archive, were most of paperwork of 2001 are stored,
I don't know how much content of the 12 container survive, but Kubrick stored his paperwork on his movies.

There were talks about dumping them at NASM / Smithonian but nothing happened.

 

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://youtu.be/lAWqPXDgq-k

 

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9U2DA6Jf14


There is a subtle Easter Egg in homage to the above scene in 2014's Interstellar:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUsKKRTcU9Q

 

[Grey Havoc]

4 must-see Jupiter movies to help you prepare for NASA's Europa Clipper mission

Journey to Jupiter and Europa with four sci-fi films centered around the Jovian system ahead of NASA's Europa Clipper mission.

www.space.com

 

[southwestforests]

There's a pretty good (as far as I can tell) scratch-built model of the Sakharov at:

Starship Modeler: Gallery (2001/2010)

Anthony Santos' Leonov

www.starshipmodeler.info

Link posted 2009 is still good here in 2024 and that's quite a model.

I like the use of simple materials, including the classic ping pong ball.

Here is a 4ft scratchbuilt model of the Leonov from 2010. I made this on a dare from a friend back in high school. It is made mostly of illustration board, card board (gift boxes), toothpicks and a few pieces of ping pong ball for the small radar dishes in the front.

 

[martinbayer]

Link posted 2009 is still good here in 2024 and that's quite a model.

I like the use of simple materials, including the classic ping pong ball.

That is a genuine labor of love!